ATFLB: Releasing Preasure
by chronicler-of-knuckles
Summary: Vin's silent cry for his father is finally heard.


TITLE: Releasing Preasure  
  
AUTHOR: The Chronicler  
  
CHALLENGE:W.O.W. 12-16-03 -- Betray  
  
RATED: PG-13 (self inflicted injury)  
  
UNIVERSE: ATF-LB   
  
NOTE: Vin and J.D. are a little older than the typical LB. I'm not sure if there's an AU for this age, so there it is.  
  
SUMMARY: Vin's silent cry for his father is finally heard.  
  
ARCHIVE: Yes, just let me know where.  
  
FEEDBACK: yea, please.  
  
EMAIL: chronicler_of_knuckles@yahoo.com  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Releasing Preasure  
  
By The Chronicler  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Little twelve year old Vincent Tanner hurried into the ranch house. "Dad?" he called, dropping his school bag on the couch by the door. "Dad, you home?"  
  
Bucklin Wilmington stepped into the room from the kitchen, wiping his hands on a hand towel. "Hey, cowboy. How's school?"   
  
Vin started to smile, but stop when he saw just which `father' had greeted him. For a moment he stared at Buck, then his eyes darted about. "Dad?" he called again.  
  
Buck sighed. "Chris is still working, kiddo. He sends his love. Promises to be... Hey! Vin!" Buck took a step after the boy as he ran back out the door, down the steps and across the yard to the barn.  
  
Ten year old J.D. Dunne stepped aside as his foster brother ran passed. He glanced up at his father who now stood in the door way. "Chris ain't back yet?" he asked, guessing at Vin's reason for running.  
  
Again Buck sighed. "Yea. looks like it'll be another couple of days." he admitted.  
  
J.D. groaned. "Vin ain't gonna like that. He misses his dad." he pointed out the obvious in his usual manner.  
  
"I noticed." Buck reached out and ruffled his boy's hair before taking his book bag and asking "Wanna go tell him dinner's about done?"  
  
The boy frowned. "I'll tell him, but... I think, maybe, you should..." He stopped, dropping his eyes and kicking at the floor boards of the porch.  
  
Buck's eyes narrowed. It wasn't like his boy to have trouble finding words. Hell, half the time he couldn't figure out if the kid was actually breathing or not. "Maybe I should what?" he wanted to know. When he didn't get and answer, Buck dropped to one knee so he could eye level with his boy. "J.D. What is it?"  
  
~~~~~  
  
Vin paced angrily across the barn. "Damn, damn, damn. Shoulda known! Shoulda known he wasn't gonna stick around... he was gonna dump us... shoulda known..." he grumbled to himself. He stopped and shook his head. "Workin'. Dad's workin'. He wouldn't leave me. He's gonna come back. He's workin'." he reasoned.   
  
But, truth was Chris had never left him for this long before. Three whole weeks he had been away. He'd gone under cover with Uncle Ezra, and, when the bad guys went on the move, so did the good guys. No warning, no last word to the kids... Chris just up and left.  
  
Just up and left.  
  
Hell, he had finally gotten around to callin' him `Dad'... and this is what he does?   
  
Dad up and leaves?  
  
He betrays Vin?   
  
Vin's thumb ran over the edge of his pocket knife. He glanced down at it sharply, suddenly wondering when he had pulled it out of his pocket.  
  
Not that it had surprised him. Whenever he was so angry that it felt as if he would explode, there was the knife. Appearing as if a gift from from an angel... or, maybe, an archangel... saving him from exploding by releasing the pressure. A little prick... a little cut... and it just all bleeds away.  
  
Just...  
  
Bleeds...  
  
Away......  
  
"Vincent!" Buck snatched the knife out of the boy's hands, tossing it aside. Dropping to his knees, he grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. "What the hell are you doing?!"  
  
Vin blinked at him as if he wasn't quite sure what Buck was talking about.  
  
When silence was all the answer he received, Buck just stared back. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know how to reply to this no-answer. 'Course, he wasn't sure how the hell he would of replied to an answer.  
  
Taking a shaky breath, he let his hands slid down the boy's arms, picking up his little hands, and turning them so that he could inspect them.  
  
His thumb was bleeding from an inch long cut from the tip down to the first knuckle. But it was worse than just one cut. His pale hands were covered in little, tiny cuts. Some hours old, some days old... a couple weeks old.   
  
"Oh, man, Vin." Buck groaned. "What the hell have you been doing to yourself?"  
  
One more blink, and it suddenly dawned on Vin that he had been caught. That he had been stopped. That there was no more release for the pressure.   
  
Yanking his hands free, he quickly tucked them under his arms, and backed away. Big eyes filled with tears and his bottom lip trembled.  
  
Buck stepped after, quickly wrapping his arms around the boy.   
  
"I want my daddy." Vin suddenly cried, burring his face in Buck's shoulder.  
  
Buck picked him up. "I know, cowboy. I know. Let's go get him." As he carried the crying boy back out, he called to his son. "J.D., get in the truck."  
  
~~~~~  
  
ATF Agent Chris Larabee ran down the hospital hall, blind to the world. He had just left the bust of a life time, leaving the back up team to clean up. He had been so excited, thrilled even, at the prospect of getting back home and sitting back in his big easy chair, his son tightly wrapped up in his arms.   
  
Damn, it had been so long since he had held him... even talked to him.   
  
And now...  
  
"Chris!" Ezra yelled at him, grabbing his arm and turning him at the appropriate spot.  
  
Chris nearly rammed into the nurse counter, startling a little yipe from the attendant. "Vincent Tanner!" he demanded.  
  
"Sir?" squeaked the candystriper.  
  
"My son! Where is he?" he growled, angry that she wasn't pointing him in the right direction.  
  
Confused, she glanced at the obviously more calm Ezra Standish.   
  
"This is Agent Chris Larabee. We were told that his son was here. A Vincent Tanner?" Ezra quickly explained.  
  
"Chris, Ezra." Josiah greeted them as he walked up.   
  
"Where's Vin?" Chris demanded impatiently.  
  
"He's alright, Chris." the big man quickly explained. "A few scratches is all. He's resting now."  
  
"Where?!"   
  
"203." Josiah answered. "But, Chris... take it easy on the boy."  
  
But Chris was already down the hall, locating the right room.  
  
Chris stopped to take in the view inside.  
  
Vin laid on his side, curled up in a ball, his back to the door. His hands were wrapped in light gauze and rested on the pillow in front of him. His eyes stared blindly at the wall.  
  
Buck was sitting in the far corner next to the window. His long legs were stretched out before him, his brown eyes locked on the boy in the bed. He glanced up sharply when he heard the door open. Instantly he straighten in the chair, ready to come to his feet, but Chris held up his hand stilling him.  
  
Quietly, Chris stepped across the room to his son's bed. He sat on the edge. "Hey, cowboy." he said softly, reaching out to run his fingers through those dust blond bangs.  
  
Vin slowly looked up. It took a moment for his to register what he was seeing. Then, suddenly, he was sitting up, his arms wrapped around Chris' neck, and crying against his shoulder.  
  
Chris held him close, rocking softly. "Shhh. I'm here now. I'm not going anywhere." He gently kissed his head. "We've got a lot to talk about, cowboy."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~ 


End file.
